China is North Korea's most important diplomatic and economic supporter, though Beijing's patience with Pyongyang has been severely tested following three nuclear tests and numerous bouts of saber rattling, including missile launches.

On Thursday, Qin had said the Chinese airplane was unaffected and urged Pyongyang to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft.

Media reports had identified the Chinese airplane as a China Southern Airlines flight.

Company chairman Si Xianmin confirmed to Reuters that one of his firm's planes intersected the trajectory of the North Korean missile.

“The report is true, but the missile was far away from the plane - it was six minutes away and I don't know how many kilometres away in terms of altitude,” Si told Reuters.

A spokeswoman from the Civil Aviation Administration of China told Reuters on Thursday that she had read the reports but had no knowledge of the incident, adding that the agency had not been contacted by China Southern Airlines. - Reuters

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